Store-service apparatus.



No. 892,535. PATENTBD JULY 7, 1908. I O. J. MILLER.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1906.

aemmm GM UNITED STATES CHARLES J. MILLER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7', 1908.

Application filed September 8, 1905. Serial No. 277,508.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. MILLER, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county,Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStore-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to store service apparatus and particularly tocarriers therefor, and the object of my invention is to provide meansfor taking up the shock or impetus of the carrier as it approaches astation without placing any strain on the line wire or the carrierwheels or axles.

The invention consists generally in friction arms arranged in pairs uponeach side of the line wire, one arm of a pair being above the other armof the same pair.

Further, the invention consists in providing a yielding bearing for thearms to take up the shock or impetus of the carriage.

Further the invention consists in provid ing means for regulating theresistance of the arms to the entrance of the carriage into the station.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions andcombinations, all as here inafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation of a station and carrier. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the position of thefriction arms with respect to the line wire. Fig. 4 is a sectional viewillustrating in detail the yielding device provided in connection withthe friction arms.

In the drawing, 2 represents a hanger, 3 the line wire or way, and 4 acarriage having wheels 5 to rest and travel upon the wire 3. A guide rod6 is provided in the rear of the hanger 2, beneath which is a plunger 7having a sliding connection 8 with the said rod, and propelled by meansof a cord 9 running over a pulley 10. The forward end 11 of the plungeris adapted to engage the carriage and propel it from the station. Anelastic cord 12 is attached to the rear end of the plunger for thepurpose of returning it to its normal position. A head 13 is provided onthe lower end of the hanger 2 and has a socket 14 to receive a plug 15secured therein by a set screw 16. One of these sockets is provided uponeach side of the line wire, as shown in Fig. 2. The outer end of theplug 15 is flattened, and arms 17 and 18 are secured thereto by means ofscrews 19, which also pass through yielding washers or blocks 20. Thearms 17 are loosely mounted on the screws 19 and slide verticallythereon when the blocks 20 are compressed.

The arms 17 are on substantially the same level as the line wire, andhave upwardly turned ends, while the arms 18 have downwardly turnedends, and pins 21 provided on each side of the carriage 4, havingantifriction rollers 21, are adapted to pass between the arms 17 and 1S,and engaging the con tiguous surfaces of said arms check the momentum orimpetus of the carriage. At the same time the blocks 20 will yieldsulliciently to allow the arms to separate, and offer a yieldingresistance to the entrance of the carriage into the station. During thetime the pins 21 are passing between the friction arms the wheels 5 willremain upon the line wire without exerting any strain thereon or beingraised from their normal position in contact with the wire. The use ofthese friction arms in pairs upon each side of the line wire will alsorelieve the carrier axles and wheels of all strain incident to thesudden stopping of the carriage. The screw connection between the armsof the same pair and the yielding washer or block thereon permits theadjustment of the upper arm of each pair toward or from the lower arm,for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the pressure and regulatingthe degree of separation of the arms according to the weight of thecarrier and its speed in approaching the station.

As shown in Fig. 1, the arms will be separated by the pins 21 and theirantifrietion rollers when the carrier enters a station, and there willbe SUfllClGllt resistance to the entrance of the pins into the stationto gradually check the impetus or momentum of the carrier and bring itto a stop without any jar or shock or rebound or strain upon the wireand the carrier axles and wheels. The friction between the arms and therollers will be sufficient to offer resistance to the thrust of theplunger until such time as the plunger cord has been tensioned and poweraccumulated to drive the carrier to the next station. As soon as theplunger has overcome the friction between the arms and rollers, thecarrier will be driven from the station, and the plunger being releasedwill return to its normal position.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a station and a line wire, of a carriageadapted to travel upon said wire, friction arms arranged in pairs oneach side of said wire, and pins mounted on said carriage and adapted topass between said arms and check the impetus or momentum of saidcarriage without causing any strain on the line wire, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, in a store service apparatus, with a station and away, of a carrier, friction stop devices having receiving ends above andbelow the level of said way and arranged to prevent vertical movement ofthe carrier as it enters the station and to check its impetus ormomentum without causing any strain on said way.

3. The combination, in a store service apparatus, with a station and aline wire, of a carrier adapted to rest and travel upon said wire,friction arms arranged in the path of said carrier and having bearingswhich yield and permit vertical movement of said arms and preventingvertical movement of said carrier, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, in a store service apparatus with a station and aline wire, of a carrier adapted to rest and travel upon said wire,friction arms arranged one above another in pairs upon each side of theline wire, the upper arms being upon substantially the same level as thewire and having upwardly turned outer ends and the lower ends beingbelow the level of said wire and having downwardly turned outer ends andsaid arms being sufficiently near together to engage said carrier andretard or check its momentum without causing strain on the wire.

5. The combination, with a station and a line wire, of a carrier adaptedto rest and travel upon said wire, friction arms arranged one aboveanother in pairs upon each side of said wire, the upper arms beingloosely mounted, yielding washers or blocks forming bearings for saidupper arms, and said arms being adapted to engage said carrier and checkthe impetus or momentum of the same as it enters the station,substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a store service apparatus, with a station and away, of a carrier adapted to travel on said way, arms arranged in pairsupon each side of said carrier, one arm of a pair being above the otherarm of the same pair, means for adjusting the mountings of said arms tovary the resistance to separation between those of the same pair, andmeans provided on said carrier and adapt ed to engage said arms,substantially as de.

scribed.

7. The combination, in a store service apparatus, with a station and away, of friction arms arranged in pairs upon each side of said way, onearm of each pair being arranged above the other arm of the same pair,means adjustably connecting the arms of the same pair, and the upperarms having a yielding vertical movement, a carrier adapted to travel onsaid way and having means to pass between said arms and engage the same,substantially as described.

8. In a store service apparatus, a station and a way and a carriertherefor, in combina tion with friction arms arranged to engage saidcarrier upon its entrance into the station, the upper friction armsarresting or checking the momentum of the carrier and the lower frictionarms raising the carrier slightly and relieving the way of strainthereon.

9. In a store service apparatus, a station, a way and a carriertherefor, in combination with friction arms arranged upon differentlevels, some of said arms having yielding bearings and engaging saidcarrier and resisting its entrance into the station.

10. In a store service apparatus a station, a way and a .carriertherefor in combination with upper and lower friction arms, said upperarms furnishing a yielding resistance to the entrance of the carrierinto the station and said lower arms raising the carrier slightly andrelieving the way of strain thereon.

11. In a store service a paratus, a station, a way and a carrier thereor, in combination with friction devices arranged one above another oneach side of said way and said carrier having means to pass between saiddevices and engage the same, and whereby the impetus or momentum of thecarrier will be checked, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of August1905.

' CHARLES J. MILLER. I/Vitnesses:

RICHARD PAUL, C. MACNAMARA.

